Department of Education Foundation
https://karuspace.karu.ac.ke/handle/20.500.12092/1882
2024-03-28T05:03:22ZCan Schools Make Our Society More Cohesive? A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Embu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya
https://karuspace.karu.ac.ke/handle/20.500.12092/3021
Can Schools Make Our Society More Cohesive? A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Embu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya
Njoka, Johannes Njagi; Githui, Perminus
Cohesion’ is a growing concern for policy makers and society and this raises questions for the role of schools. This mini-report asks how, and whether, schools should respond. We draw on academic and policy research, think-pieces and perspectives from the LKMco Big Debate 2016 ‘Can Schools Make Societies More Cohesive?’ and ask: 1. What is social cohesion? 2. What influences levels of social cohesion? 3. What are schools currently doing to improve social cohesion? 4. How can schools make society more cohesive? 5. What stands in the way of schools doing more? 6. What barriers do schools face in doing more?
Schools and cohesiveness
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZThe Influence of Institutional Resources on Doctorate Degree Enrolment and Completion Rates in Selected Public Universities Kenya
https://karuspace.karu.ac.ke/handle/20.500.12092/2991
The Influence of Institutional Resources on Doctorate Degree Enrolment and Completion Rates in Selected Public Universities Kenya
Motanya, Jared Ochwangi; Nyambura, Salome; Gathara, Peter Mugo
Doctorates are fundamental pivot towards facilitating the social and economic transformation of a nation.
Nevertheless, research on doctorate education point out that most candidates in Kenyan public
universities spend lengthy period of time to earn their doctorate degrees. Furthermore, data of those
enrolling in selected Kenyan public universities demonstrate that less students enroll for doctorate
programmes in contrast with those who register for Master and Bachelors’ programmes. Institutional
resources have been cited as a critical ingredient toward enhanced students’ enrolment into doctorate
programmes. The purpose of this paper was, therefore, to establish the influence of institutional
resources on doctorate degree enrolment and completion rates from selected Kenyan public universities.
The study sought to analyse institutional resources influence on doctorate degree programmes enrolment
and completion rates from selected public universities in Kenya for the last fifteen years. The study
employed the mixed methods research design. Data was collected from four purposively sampled
universities using questionnaires, analysis of documents (on enrolment, completion and staff enrolments)
and interview schedules. Qualitative data was coded and then thematically analysed guided by the study
objectives while quantitative data was analysed using percentages and graphs. The study revealed that
institutional resources influence enrolment and completion rates at doctorate level. Availability of
qualified and sufficient academic staff, funding, mentorship programmes, well equipped libraries, reliable
internet connections and ambient social environment to be critical in determining where one enrolls for
a doctorate programme and how long it will take to complete. The study furthermore established that
between 2003 and 2017, there was low doctorate programmes enrolment and completion rates at the
selected public Universities Kenya. This was demonstrated from trends in the numbers of those who
enrolled and those who graduated. The trends revealed that more males than females enrolled and
completed their studies with the highest being between 2008 and 2013. The findings of this research
would be resourceful to university policy makers, administrators and lecturers to improve on institutional
policy framework with regard to institutional resources which could be used to enhance doctorate
programme enrolment and completion in Kenyan public universities
Doctorate Degree enrolment in Public Universities in Kenya
2023-10-16T00:00:00ZHeadteachers’ Staff Management Strategies and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Private Primary Schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties, Kenya
https://karuspace.karu.ac.ke/handle/20.500.12092/2988
Headteachers’ Staff Management Strategies and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Private Primary Schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties, Kenya
Muriuki, Maina Peterson; Kimosop, Maurice; Gachahi, Michael
Headteachers use different staff management strategies to coordinate day to day running of schools and to
develop an environment that helps motivate pupils. These management strategies may be responsible for the
disparity in school performance. Studies on head teachers’staff management strategies have concentrated on
public schools, leaving out private schools. This study aims to examine the influence of headteachers’ staff
management strategies on pupils’ academic performance in private primary schools in Nyeri and Murang’a
Counties in Kenya. The study was guided by Bertalanffy and Weihrich's Systems theory which claims that an
organized enterprise does not exist in isolation but depends on the environment in which it’s established. The
study used a descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study is 2,630 head teachers and
teachers from 259 private primary schools in the Murang’a and the Nyeri Counties. The schools considered had
done KCPE for at least five years before the study period. The study employed Slovin’s formula to determine the
number of head teachers and teachers where 58 headteachers and 342 teachers were estimated to be
representative samples for respective groups. The research also selected 15 SCQASOs using purposive
sampling, while simple random sampling was adopted to select 158 schools from the two Counties. At the
school level, the researcher recruited a headteacher using a purposive approach and two or three teachers
using simple random sampling. A questionnaire was adopted to collect data from headteachers and teachers
and interview schedules from SCQASOs. The researcher used Cronbach’s alpha to compute the reliability of the
study tools and determined at 0.7; all variables had an alpha coefficient above 0.7, which implies an internal
consistency. The researcher also tested the content and the construct validity of the questionnaire by submitting
the questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented
using charts and tables. Qualitative data were analysed using Atlas.it, coded while quantitative data were
analyzed in SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. The researcher used descriptive methods such as
frequency distribution and correlation coefficient. The study found head teachers’ staff management strategies
accounted for 83.9% of variations in private schools' performance in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties. The study
also found staff management had statistical significance influence on the performance of private primary
schools in Nyeri and Murang’a Counties at α=0.05.
Headteachers’ Staff Management Strategies On Pupils’ Academic Performance
2023-04-01T00:00:00ZDeterminants Influencing Provision of Financial Resources for Infrastructure in Early Years Education in Nyeri County, Kenya
https://karuspace.karu.ac.ke/handle/20.500.12092/2981
Determinants Influencing Provision of Financial Resources for Infrastructure in Early Years Education in Nyeri County, Kenya
Kioni, Esther Wangari; Njoka, Johannes; Gachahi, Michael W.
The Constitution of Kenya (2010) mandates the county governments to deliver quality pre-primary education through enhancing its management, infrastructure, human and financial resources. However, concerns abound on whether there is effective provision of financial resources to support early years education in Kenya and especially in Nyeri County. This study sought to assess the determinants influencing provision of financial resources for infrastructure in pre-primary education in Nyeri County in Kenya. The study was guided by the mixed methods research design. The target population for the study was 400 head teachers and 800 teachers in pre-primary schools in Nyeri county. Using the Borg and Gall formula of 10-30% criteria of selection of a sample, the lower limit was used which yielded a sample of 40 head teachers and 80 teachers. Data was collected using questionnaires from both the head teachers and pre-primary education teachers. The Cronbach‟s alpha was computed to ascertain for the reliability of instruments which yielded a coefficient correlation of 0.0818 which was higher than the 0.7 threshold of acceptance recommended by Kerlinger6. Data was analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. The findings of the study revealed that provision of financial resources greatly impacted on the quality of early years education offered in pre-schools in Nyeri county. From the findings of the study, it was recommended that there was need for mainstreaming the early years education in the Free Primary Education to benefit in the funding. The county government should increase budgetary allocation, establish clear financing frameworks, enhance resource mobilization strategies to source funds from other stakeholders.
Provision of Financial Resources for Infrastructure in Early Years Education
2023-09-01T00:00:00Z